PZ VHS Stores: Skill Tapes, Media XP Cap, and Hit Vids (Build 42.19)
Build 42.19 · recorded-media XP · Maximum Media XP Level (default 3) · two named Hit Vids in Muldraugh
How media skill XP works
Skill TV and VHS are not one flat XP lump per tape. Each tape is a list of dialogue lines. Some lines award a skill tick (for example Carpentry or Mechanics). When a line awards skill, the game multiplies that tick by 50 and applies normal XP multipliers—so skill-book multipliers and other XP modifiers still matter.
Before awarding media skill XP, the game checks the sandbox option Maximum Media XP Level. If the character’s skill level is already at or above that cutoff, that skill line grants no XP. Stock presets (including Apocalypse) set the cutoff to 3.
Per line, once per player
- The game records each media line as known on the character/player.
- Replaying the same line does not grant the skill effect again.
- Boredom and entertainment can still apply depending on the line content.
Multiplayer does not “share” watch flags
- Watch records are per player, not a global world flag.
- One survivor finishing a live show does not mark the whole server as watched.
- Passing a tape around still works: each player can benefit once from lines they have not seen.
Build 41 habits vs Build 42.19 rules
Older advice often treated Life and Living TV plus the matching VHS as two free skill packages, and treated media as a way to push deep into mid-game skills from the couch. In Build 42.19, plan around these current rules instead:
| Topic | What still helps | Build 42.19 constraint |
|---|---|---|
| Live TV vs tape | Same episode content can exist on air and on VHS | Shared media lines do not pay skill XP twice for the same player |
| Skill ceiling from media | Tapes remain strong early boosts | Default cutoff stops media skill XP at level 3; raise Maximum Media XP Level in sandbox if you want the old high-media style |
| Skill books | Read the matching book before watching | Still multiplies media XP through normal XP rules; books do not bypass the level cutoff |
| Team play | Share tapes after you finish | Each player has their own known-line list |
Build 41 “watch live then rewatch the tape for a second package” habits no longer apply under Build 42.19 media rules. Plan early skills around the level-3 media cutoff unless you change sandbox.
TVs that play tapes
- ValuTech Television — accepts VHS tapes.
- Premium Technologies Television — accepts VHS tapes.
- Antique Television — still a TV for broadcasts, but does not accept VHS media.
Power the set (mains while the grid is up, then a generator and cabling after the blackout). Open the device panel, insert the tape, and watch with the character who should receive the XP. After the grid fails, a powered TV plus a secure room matters more than “watching in the store.”
Named Hit Vids locations
Build 42.19 names two Hit Vids buildings, both in Muldraugh. Other towns may still have video-store style loot or flyer lore, but only these two sites are confirmed named Hit Vids on the current map.
Hit Vids A (Muldraugh)
- World tiles: X 10,603; Y 10,446
- Map pin grid: 1060, 1045
- Named region size: 16 × 14 tiles
Hit Vids B (Muldraugh)
- World tiles: X 10,771; Y 10,163
- Map pin grid: 1077, 1016
- Named region size: 18 × 14 tiles
In-game flyers still mention a March Ridge Hit Vids job ad. That is lore text, not a second map pin. Older “six Hit Vids across Knox Country” lists are outdated for Build 42.19 named stores.
Retail and Home VHS also spawn outside brand-name stores—houses, crates, and other containers. For a full inventory of every tape and CD, use the searchable catalog: All CDs and VHS tapes (Build 42.19).
Key skill tapes and XP totals
Current recorded media includes 352 entries (69 CDs, 155 Retail VHS, 128 Home VHS). Dozens of VHS titles award skill XP; the table below covers the main Life-and-Living style series plus a few high-value home tapes. Values are base media XP from skill ticks.
| Tape | Skill XP (base) | Notable unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| VHS: Woodcraft E1–E7 | Carpentry 250 / 200 / 250 / 300 / 150 / 250 / 250 (1,650 total) | — |
| VHS: The Cook Show E1–E7 | Cooking 350 / 400 / 250 / 200 / 200 / 250 / 300 (1,950 total) | E1 Cake batter; E7 Pie dough |
| VHS: Carzone E1–E3 | Mechanics 300 each (900 total) | — |
| VHS: Exposure Survival E1–E8 | Fishing 200+300; Agriculture 350; Carpentry 300+200+350; Foraging 50+350; Trapping 500 | E1 Fishing rod; E6 Wooden box trap |
| Home VHS: Tailoring 101 | Tailoring 300 | — |
| Home VHS: Granny Nani | Tailoring 300 | — |
| Home VHS: TV repair | Electrical 300 | — |
| Home VHS: Muldraugh AV Club | Electrical 300 | Makeshift radio |
Older community tables that list Woodcraft or Carzone as “about 50 / 75 / 100 XP” understate current totals. Use the figures above or the full catalog.
Home VHS and uniqueness
Home-VHS and Retail-VHS are separate categories. Home tapes include lore-heavy camcorder footage and some skill titles (Tailoring, Electrical, First Aid, and more). They are not automatically “one copy in the whole world” just because the case looks personal.
- Retail skill series can appear as multiple copies across loot pools.
- Sandbox still offers a Unique Home VHS Tapes option: when enabled, only one instance of an individual Home VHS title normally spawns.
- Do not plan a multiplayer “first finder forever” rule unless that sandbox option is actually on in your world.
Practical loot plan
- Secure a ValuTech or Premium Technologies TV at a base you can power after the blackout.
- Hit the two named Muldraugh Hit Vids when your route and zombie density allow; bag skill-sounding titles first (Woodcraft, Cook Show, Carzone, Exposure Survival).
- Keep scavenging houses and other containers—many skill tapes never sit on a rental shelf.
- Read the skill book for the skill you care about, then watch only with the character who should receive the XP.
- In multiplayer, pass finished tapes to teammates; their known-line lists are independent.
- After a skill hits level 3 on default presets, stop expecting media to push it further unless you raised Maximum Media XP Level.
Action checklist
- TV: ValuTech or Premium Technologies (not Antique) for VHS
- Sandbox: note Maximum Media XP Level (default 3 on stock presets)
- Named stores: Hit Vids A (10603, 10446) and Hit Vids B (10771, 10163)
- Books first, then tapes; one skill payout per media line per player
- Full list: all CDs and VHS
FAQ
If I watch Life and Living live, is the VHS useless?
Not for boredom or for lines you never received. Skill lines already known to that player will not pay skill XP again. Lines you missed still can.
Does one player watching a show lock out the whole multiplayer server?
No. Known media lines are tracked per player. Teammates who never saw those lines can still earn the skill effects.
Why did I get no Carpentry from a Woodcraft tape at level 3?
On default presets, Maximum Media XP Level is 3. At that skill level or higher, media no longer awards that skill’s XP. Raise the sandbox cutoff if you want media to keep paying.
Are there still six Hit Vids across Knox Country?
Current Build 42.19 map naming only lists two Hit Vids buildings, both in Muldraugh. Older multi-town store counts are outdated.
Do skill books still multiply VHS XP?
Media skill XP uses the normal XP rules after the 50 × tick conversion, so book multipliers still matter. They do not bypass the media level cutoff.
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